what's your weakness?

7+ Year Member

If asked your strengths and weaknesses in an interview, what are you guys saying for your weakness? I am not sure how to answer this. I can definitely think of some, but not sure I want to share those with an interviewer.

7+ Year Member

I am a people pleaser. And that's my weakness. Oprah calls it "disease to please." Although you would THINK that' s a strength, it gets really tiring at the end of the day if all you are doing is moderate people in your REAL life.

I mean, just imagine...it's like SDN in real life. i am constantly trying to mediate arguements or situations, trying to make sure others around me are happy. It's all well and good, until I realize that I can't make everybody around me happy. Then I blame it on myself and internalize it. It's gotten me into trouble before, and I know it's going to get me into trouble later in life unless I change that about myself. It's tiring.....but I can't seem to stop it.

Chase The Dream ---->

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

7+ Year Member

My weakness is that I am a workaholic. I love what I do so much, other people think I am wierd. Most of the time, I would rather read a journal article than go out and party. Just a nerd at heart, I guess.

I may not agree with what you say, but to your death I will defend your right to say it
- Voltaire, In Freedom

What's this? Keep this intolerant **** off SDN.
-Lee A Burnett

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

7+ Year Member

I am way too anal/perfectionistic for my own good. I tend to double and triple check things and people have told me that I think I am perfect. Thus, I get very angry with myself whenever I make a mistake. Another weakness is that I internalize my stress without an appropriate way to let it out. I have been trying to work on those weaknesses for years now.

"I didn't think it was physically possible, but this blows and sucks."--Bart Simpson

Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University--Class of 2007

University of California, Irvine--Class of 2002

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

Moderator Emeritus10+ Year Member

seriously, i'm too much of a team player at times. try to help out others and consequently end up straining my own responsbilities.

"I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have......

....Don't give up, don't ever give up...."

Jim Valvano, March 4 1993

?I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.? ?Ezra Cornell
Weill Medical College of Cornell University Class of 2007. w00t w00t!!!

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

7+ Year Member

i talk too much and too fast (though i'm not sure if you guys could possibly have sensed that...)... i think it makes me sound younger than i am and, unfortunately, can scare people! i just get really enthusiatic about things and kinda forget to breathe...oops .

"the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." Jack Kerouac

"I want the windows and doors of my house to be wide open. I want the cultures of all lands to blow freely around my house, but I refuse to be blown off my feet by any of them." Gandhi

"well behaved women rarely make history"

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

Funny, they asked us that strength/weakness question at Pitt yesterday, and I said that I used to be a lot more cocky/arrogant and that was something I was working on...and the interviewer was really impressed that I had answered honestly because she was sick of hearing everyone's weaknesses that they turned into strengths (perfectionist, work too hard, etc.)

7+ Year Member

I am over critical of criticism. I like to analyze and over analyze. I produce quality results on a consistent basis and pride myself on exceeding expectations therefore when I am categorized as not meeting expectations, I over process the feedback.

PGY3

Stop hovering to collapse...Click to collapse...Hover to expand...Click to expand...

7+ Year Member

I dont know if Id say it in an interview, but mine is impatience with boring people. My mind wanders or jumps ahead ( or sidewise?)
BTW-- I AM trying to be a better listener. [It's awful when docs write in charts or read lab sheets while you're trying to tell them what's wrong with you]

7+ Year Member

When I have to eat w/ people whose guts I can't stand, I get horrible indigestion. I don't have any patience in that situation. Just happened last weekend when I had to have dinner w/ my b-friend's sister (Lord, help me, soon to be my sister-in-law!), who's a real witch!

Though I wouldn't wanna say that in an interview, since they're trying to evaluate your social skills!!

7+ Year Member

When working in groups, I often take all the responsibility on myself, because i dont trust that others will do a "good enough" job, or will not put as much time into it as I do and the work will suffer as a result. So, I overinvolve myself, kindof as a perfectionist....I dunno, anyone think of a good one word answer for my situation here....dont think perfectionist or lack of trust is the wording I am looking for??

7+ Year Member

Marklar,
see, now is it bad for us to say we don't trust people on app/interview questions? while it makes us do more work, trust in coworkers is essential to patient care and diagnosis, team work and effort in medicine, right? i dunno...

7+ Year Member

I have interviewed and hired hundreds of people, and this question is critical. The specific answer is almost utterly useless. What is critical, is the self-reflection and honesty in the answer. I promise that honest answers, especially if they demonstrate some keen self-awareness insight, are immensely more important than the topic of the weakness. Any of these psuedo-weaknesses (perfectionist, optimism, workaholic, etc.) are clearly seen at best as trite dismissive answers to the question, and at worse just outright lies. Answers such as Xaelias above, show a deep understanding of oneself, and attempts at iself-mproivement. In all the interviews I have conducted (over 1000), such an answer would always lead to a positive impression of the candidate, not a negative. We all of real weaknesses (well maybe not Dr. Kevin40 ), and the sooner we can all realize ours, the sooner we can rid ourselves of them.

I'll contribute mine...just to take my own medicine. I am terribly self-critical and lack self-confidence. It leads me to over dependent on others opinion of me, my actions, and my decisions.

7+ Year Member

Nefertiti--what about the inability to listen to profs with wierd mannerisms?? I had a prof who I swear stuck his tongue out quickly every three or four words like a snake and I couldnt listen to a word he said because I kept waiting for that tongue to come out. Another one I had kept pausing in the middle of sentences for no reason like even between a n adjective and a noun. It drove me CRAZY and I had to drop the course...

7+ Year Member

Originally posted by galen Nefertiti--what about the inability to listen to profs with wierd mannerisms?? I had a prof who I swear stuck his tongue out quickly every three or four words like a snake and I couldnt listen to a word he said because I kept waiting for that tongue to come out. Another one I had kept pausing in the middle of sentences for no reason like even between a n adjective and a noun. It drove me CRAZY and I had to drop the course...

7+ Year Member

Originally posted by galen Nefertiti--what about the inability to listen to profs with wierd mannerisms?? I had a prof who I swear stuck his tongue out quickly every three or four words like a snake and I couldnt listen to a word he said because I kept waiting for that tongue to come out. Another one I had kept pausing in the middle of sentences for no reason like even between a n adjective and a noun. It drove me CRAZY and I had to drop the course...

Click to expand...

Maybe they did those things w/ the intention of keeping your attention! Profs have all these crazy rhetorical techniques while lecturing. I had one who would blast his voice w/o warning when he saw someone in class noding off. I hated it, cause I have a weak heart & would jump out of my seat everytime he did that.

About Us

We’ve been on the Internet for over 20 years doing just one thing: providing career information for free or at cost. We do this because we believe that the health education process is too expensive and too competitive.

We believe that all students deserve the same access to high quality information. We believe that providing high quality career advice and information ensures that everyone, regardless of income or privilege, has a chance to achieve their dream of being a doctor.

SDN is published by CRG, a nonprofit educational organization. We’re dedicated to our mission to help you.